Berkeley woman fled St. Louis after killing of tow truck driver on repo job, charges say

ST. LOUIS — Police say a Berkeley woman fled the St. Louis region after being involved with the killing of a tow truck driver who was attempting to repossess an SUV. She is now facing charges.

Authorities say Cortrina Donaby, 30, had taken a Jeep Grand Cherokee out on a short-term loan from a dealership in September, but she didn’t pay. Jesse Jones, 44, was sent to retrieve it. After Jones arrived on Sept. 7, police say he was shot and killed by Dwayne Davis, who was called by Donaby to help get the Jeep back.

Jones’ family members told the Post-Dispatch in September that Jones, of Elsberry, was helping Donaby move belongings out of the Jeep when he was attacked.

“He had a big heart,” said his sister, Stephanie Jones, at the time.

After the shooting, police recovered data from a GPS installed on the Jeep by the car dealership and followed it to Cahokia Heights. When police tried to stop the car, it fled and crashed on the Poplar Street Bridge, court documents say.

Davis threw a gun over off the bridge and tried to run from police but was eventually arrested, police wrote. Officers also recovered the gun, which matched the caliber of the bullets that shot Jones.

Police say Donaby fled the St. Louis region and is “hundreds of miles away” in a different state.

On Tuesday, she was charged with second-degree felony murder, which means Jones was killed while Donaby was committing another crime. She is also facing charges of robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. She was ordered to be held without bond when she is captured.

Davis was charged in September with first-degree murder, robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. He is being held at the city jail without bond.

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Davis is accused of throwing the gun off the bridge.